Princess Fingall – Kiln Technician

What does being a studio technician entail, and how long have you been doing it?

I’ve been a studio technician for as long as I’ve been potting, so I think that’s getting on for seven years. It basically just means we look after the work, and the studio, we recycle the clay. It’s essentially the upkeep of the pottery studio. And we can answer any questions they might have about the kiln firings, or any questions about the clay.

How did you first fall in love with pottery?

I think I just saw it as a challenge. I came from a pastry background, and I walked away because I didn’t like it anymore. And pottery was just a hobby that I’d always wanted to try. So I literally just showed up on [artist and pottery teacher] Chris Bramble’s doorstep and said: “Listen, I’ve got no money, but if you’re willing to teach me, I’m willing to learn. And I was terrible at it in the beginning, but I had such a great teacher in Chris, and he really pushed me to gain the skills as well as have fun. 

You appeared on series seven of the show – what was that experience like?

It was weird! At that point I think I was five years in, and felt comfortable with the material, but being on the show takes you so far out of your comfort zone, in terms of the things that you make, the way that you make them, the techniques that you have to use for certain makes. It really does stretch your brain. You’d get to make day, and you’d be so full of excitement and anxiety over what you were doing. But then, at the same time, once the show was over and I was looking back on it, I had this realisation that “Oh my God, I did these things!” Things I’d never done before, and will probably never do again, but they really stretched my brain regarding what ceramics can be.

Do you think the experience made you a better potter?

Absolutely! Without a doubt.

Are you still in touch with fellow potters from your series?

Yeah, we talk, all of us talk. Our group chat is still very much active.

Were you surprised to be invited back to work on the show?

Yeah, I really was. Especially because I was very shy – it took me some time to get used to the cameras and being filmed. And then they called me and said “It’s happening next week, do you want to come?” It all suddenly became real. It was a surprise, but I also felt quite confident, because I was going to go into an environment I knew, and doing things that I’d been doing for a while. By then I’d been a technician for almost six years, and I thought: “Okay, you know this job in and out. You’re just going to do the exact same thing, with a camera on you from time to time. 

How did you find settling in? Did the nature of your relationship with Rich and Keith and Siobhán change?

I think I got to know them on a more personal level, just because we help out in terms of setting up the challenges, or preparing the clay for the second challenges, whether it’s a guest judge or Keith or Rich doing it. It was really nice being able to talk to them, and to ask them pottery-related questions and to get their opinions on things. And it was really interesting seeing them assess the potters in real time. I’ve definitely got closer to them. And to Siobhán. She’s with the potters all the way through each challenge. I tell her she’s the real champion of the show. She’s really, really sweet, really amazing, and a great laugh. 

Was the experience as the show’s technician what you expected it would be?

No. But I didn’t really come expecting anything. I’d only been on the other side of it, and could only judge it based on that. In my first year as technician, I just took it all in. It was different to what I expected in that I didn’t realise just how much effort goes into what they do. The challenge team does so much research. That just really opened my eyes to the show, and how much effort goes into it. 

What’s the standard like on the new series?

Really high! In my year, you could kind of tell Donna was going to win, because she just had it in the bag. But on this series, everyone was really well-matched, you couldn’t tell who was going to win until you saw the last make, until the last firing of the final episode. And then you’re like “I think this one’s probably got it.” All along the way, you just didn’t know who would be the three finalists. And I think that’s quite fun.

Once you’ve seen the final makes, are you pretty good at predicting who’s going to win on any given week?

No. On judging days you say to yourself “I think I know who’s going to go, and I think I know who’s going to win potter of the week”, and more often than not I’m wrong.

Did you have any favourite challenges this year?

Yes, I did. I loved it when they had to make wall fountains. There were some really spectacular creations.

Are there some weeks which are particularly tricky for you as the technician?

Yeah. Anything where they have to make loads and loads of things. This year they had to make a flower posey, so they had to make a vase and then flowers to go with the vase. That was the most stressful week ever! There were so many delicate flowers and delicate parts, I was holding my breath as I was walking down to bring the pots to the kiln, because I didn’t really want to ruin anything. Basically, any challenges where the clay has to be quite thin, or it’s a slab, anything like that really makes my heart race. 

Do you ever want to be back competing in the show, or are you pleased not to have that sort of pressure on you?

I’m pleased not to have that pressure on me. As a potter on the show, it all depends on what you make. Being on the other side, you have a team, and I have a great team. 

As both a technician and former contestant, do current potters come to you for advice?

Yeah. I think they felt a bit more comfortable with me, just because they know that I know what they’re feeling. There are moments when I’ll just talk to them and ask how they’re feeling and how they’re holding up. And I kind of have this ritual when any potter that leaves the show. Because I understand how it feels to go before you’re ready. So I’ll go and give them a hug and wish them well, because I can tell that, as much as they enjoy the competition, it is quite sad, because they want to make it to the end, and I know that feeling. So I’ll talk to them and I’ll say “You were great. Everything’s gonna be okay, you’re going to look back on your time and have just the fondest memories.” They trust me, and I love that they trust me.

It sounds like you built a real bond with them…

Yeah, I did. One of the contestants this year really had my heart. I think her style of making resembled mine the most, and she’s quite neat and clean, and I kind of like simplicity. And we just bonded. She’s obviously lovely – they were all really, really lovely potters – but I could see myself in her, and I was really excited to watch her progress. 

How does it feel when their stuff breaks?

When you watch them make I can see them sometimes take shortcuts, And I wish I could say “Oh, don’t do that, do this instead” but you can’t. So when I open the kiln, and a crack has appeared, or there’s something that I thought might happen, like a wall collapsing, that kind of gets me. I’m as emotional as they are.

Can you tell when a build is going to have problems in the kiln, or do you sometimes get blindsided by something breaking that you thought would be fine?

I do hold my breath on raku week, because you just never know what’s going to happen during raku. 

Do you have nightmares about dropping stuff?

No, but I remember my very first pots-to-kiln of the series. I went so slowly down those stairs, I’m holding my breath and I’m holding the tray and I’m like “Don’t drop this, Princess. You’re on camera, someone’s filming, don’t drop this!” So I don’t have nightmares anymore, because I’m used to the rhythm, I’m used to the cameras. But that first time I was sweating, my heart was beating, I was in bits.

You were a pastry chef for a while before pottery called you. Are there similarities between the two disciplines?

In some ways yeah. Both involve rolling out slabs. Techniques and decorating can be seen as the same. But, more than anything, what I transferred into my career as a potter was the discipline it takes to become a pastry chef, and getting things right. I translated that into pottery. So when things don’t go well with a pastry – lets says a macaroon fell, or a souffle didn’t lift – you have to go back and assess where you went wrong. And when I was in my training to become a potter, that’s the kind of mentality that I had. If something didn’t work, scrap it, and retrace your steps to see where things went wrong.

You also teach pottery. Does that give you a lot of satisfaction?

Yeah, teaching feels like a full-circle-moment. Chris definitely took a chance on me  When I teach, sometimes it feels like the kind of energy that was poured into me, I get to pour into other people. 

Do you find you get recognised much?

During classes, yeah. They normally wait until about week three and then come up and go “Are you Princess from The Great Pottery Throw Down?” But they’re already interested in pottery, so they’re much more likely to have seen the show.

What is it that makes Throw Down such a special show? 

Now that I’m on the other side, it’s the time and the attention that goes into the potters and what they make. As a contestant, you just receive these briefs, but behind the scenes, you see how much work and effort goes into creating the challenges. It has to be technically challenging, but also we want the potters to succeed, and to have a good time. In the pottery community, I think it has a really big impact, because it brings new people to the craft, and it brings attention to the skills that it takes to become a potter.